Smart leaders know the benefits of a strategic plan. Exceptional leaders know that the real benefits come mainly through the strategic planning process. The actual plan is a bonus, the icing on the cake.

Think of it like earning your degree in education. From GEDs to Doctorates, the true benefit comes through the learning process. The degree or certificate is the prize. The degree signifies that the holder successfully completed an accredited learning process and gained the knowledge needed to earn the rights, honors, and privileges appertaining thereof. Your contribution and worth is measured by your application of the skills and knowledge you acquired through your education process.

With one important exception, so it is with strategic plans. The exception of course is the difference in the content found in a well-written strategic plan versus a single sheet of paper hanging on your wall. This is to say that the strategic planning document is very important. Your strategic plan becomes your roadmap, your guidebook to take you from where you are today to where you want to be. When used as a working tool versus a dusty bookend on your bookshelf, your strategic plan becomes one of your most important management tools.

If the process is key, then the success of your strategic planning depends on the process. Here is a look at our proven process.

Holland Resource Strategic Planning Process

Our strategic planning process is simple — we help you find the answers to these three questions.

Where are you now? Strategic planning helps you look back, look inside, and look forward. Reviewing you your accomplishments and failures, your assets and debits, your dreams and realities is healthy and necessary for growth. Our strategic planning process begins by examining your current situation -inside and out – and establish a starting point of your plan. We guide you through an evaluation and establish the key factors impacting your future.

Where do you want to be? Using our interactive planning model you move yourself into the future and invent it. You create and control your destiny. At this, the most critical point in your strategic planning process, you define your core values and your vision.

How will you get there? This is your action plan. We help you define the action needed to move your organization from where you are now to where you want to be?

Matching the Benefits with the Process

I listed several key benefits below, you may think of more. And I matched the benefits with the key process phase.

KEY BENEFITS

WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE?

HOW WILL YOU GET THERE?

Clearly define your purpose.

X

X

Focus your team on your vision.

X

X

Focus your resources on the critical issues.

X

Discover the best ideas and solutions.

X

X

Build consensus and ownership.

X

X

X

Develop specific action steps.

X

Establish benchmarks to measure progress.

X

Stay on course.

X

X

Achieve peak performance.

X

X

Improve your bottom line.

X

X

X

Where Are You Now? Were Do You Want To Be?

We use these processes to flesh out the background and purpose of the organization, look at trends, organizational structure, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), vision, core values, and the like. This process helps you to:

Clearly define your purpose.

Focus your team on your vision. Every employee has a private agenda. Effective leaders use our strategic planning process to communicate their overall vision for the organization.

Discover the best ideas and solutions.

Build consensus and ownership by asking the hard questions, having open dialogues about the current state of the organization, and establishing common views and priorities for the future of the organization.

Stay on course by focusing on the result – Where Do We Want To Be?

Achieve peak performance by having clearly defined goals, objectives, and a shared vision for the organization.

Improve your bottom line by becoming what you want to become.

How Will We Get There?

This is your game plan. What are the steps needed to move your organization from where you are now to where you want to be?

Discover the best ideas and solutions by soliciting input from your team.

Focus your resources on the critical issues – get everyone on the same page with the same priorities.

Build consensus and ownership by involving everyone in the planning process.

A quote from the Holland Resource website read: “Just like a body of water, your organization becomes stagnant without fresh input. Bring in outside influences to build a true sense of urgency.” And maybe this is exactly what an average business needs to get to the top of their game. Some vital goal setting input is essential to remain at the top. Everyone knows that no man is an island, so take help and assistance from where it is available. Send the management team on a leadership development course – they will be surprised at what they learn. And as the CEO, learn how to improve your management communication skills. All of this adds up to one successful, happy organization filled with staff who how to make every second count.

When starting out the discussion of goals for 2011 with Holland Resource experts, learning how important goals are and how they motivate a person to get on with the task at hand is quite a discovery. There is nothing nicer than looking at the goal list and being able to tick off the first one – achieved! No trial and error here – the path of 2011 is clearly set out in easily attainable steps. It is like receiving a good return on a sure-fire investment. Except this investment is in your career and your working life.

When learning about leadership development, an autocratic “do what I say” attitude is not going to work. Modify your attitude and be the inspiration for your staff. No longer will the staff be managed, rather they will be “lead” by a confident, assertive, and productive person who is able to take the lead, someone who can adapt to change and be the modern leader he is required to be in this modern world of business.

Alongside leadership, management communication needs to be taught and understood and used in the correct manner. No longer does the CEO and management team sit in their ivory tower and govern with an iron fist. No, there are computers, emails and social networks which can all be used to their capacity to enhance and further your goals of 2011. To benefit from all these points, contact Holland Resource.

Most people come back to start of a new year at work with huge inspirational ideas. They have had some time off to relax and slowly review the preceding year and are now charged up to hit the big time and make changes at the office. To this end, a lot of managers realize they need professional help. The company best placed to assist a business with the all important steps of management communication and leadership development is called Holland Resource. They can also help in the process of goal setting for the year ahead. It is always better to do something properly the first time so that it does not pop up again the haunt your staff or the business environment.

Now you are wondering how does Holland Resource accomplish these tasks and how have they achieved such a successful track record? Well, starting now, a plan is going to be formulated that can give your organization the boost it requires to tackle the challenges ahead. One of the most important lessons to be learned in the goal setting process is one of making use of the support of the community around your business premises and enhancing your networking skills. With leadership development, your managers will learn the benefits of managing their time effectively and delegating responsibility with confidence. Time is of all importance to any manager and it does not inspire confidence in anyone to hear the phrase “I did not have time” as an excuse.

By working with your employees on the Holland Resource techniques, goal setting and management communication become second nature to all involved. Effective time management skills include topics such as how to develop goals, how to prioritize all your allocated work and how to delegate without fear. As the New Year progresses, you can tick off each accomplishment as it happens and as you and your team succeed at each goal you set. And don’t forget to carry on with continuing your business education.